


Soulmate - Mavin-

by Kiki_The_Marauder



Category: Achievement Hunter, Rooster Teeth
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Gay, Lesbian, Love, M/M, Minor character OC - Freeform, Multi, Oral Sex, Other, Rooster Teeth - Freeform, Soulmate AU, achievement hunter - Freeform, soulmate
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-20
Updated: 2015-12-29
Packaged: 2018-04-05 06:19:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4169178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kiki_The_Marauder/pseuds/Kiki_The_Marauder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everybody in the world is born with a number on their arm - days, hours, minutes, seconds - Forever counting down to the moment when they will meet their soulmate. People date before meeting their soulmates, yes, but they know it probably won't last forever. It could, because not all soulmates are romantic, but that doesn't happen often. Some are simply like a best friend that you cannot live without. Most, however, are almost annoyingly perfect couples.</p><p>Micheal Jones hoped that his soulmate would be a romantic one. His image of love is himself and a gorgeous girl. He would never imagine his soulmate being a goofy English guy with wild hair and a big nose, but the moment he met Gavin Free, he knew that he would fall in love with the stupid Brit.</p><p>(Only things I own are the plot and the OC: David)</p><p>(I'm not affiliated with Rooster Teeth or Achievement Hunter)</p><p>(I absolutely love and respect all of the character's real-life significant others and don't get offended that Meg, Tina and Laurie (Ryan's wife) are not mentioned. And Cati (Jack's wife) is not his wife, just his best friend. Thanks!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my Mavin Soulmate AU from Wattpad! If you would prefer to read it there, go to www.wattpad.com/user/didusayhedlitefluid.

Michael never really looked at his number. He never cared. He liked living in the moment rather than waiting for the future, and that's why he dated his best friend, Lindsay. They had fun and lived together anyways, so why not add some hand holding and kissing in to it? At least for now. Their numbers were simmilar. Just a week and two days apart. They knew that they would break off their romantic relationship when they met their soulmates. It wouldn't be a big deal. Lot's of people dated before finding their soulmate. Hell, Geoff had been married before he met Griffon.

Michael never actively imagined his soulmate, but everybody had some idea of what they wanted. He wanted a really hot chick with great curves and nice, long hair. Somebody cheerful and generally nice but who could also stand her ground and banter with him. When Geoff started to talk about the new employee Rooster Teeth would be getting, he just knew it would be her. He and Lindsay broke it off happily because Michael couldn't stop thinking about Barbera.

Achievement Hunter was hiring somebody as well. It was some friend of Geoff's who he had met way back when Red vs. Blue was in season 3 or 4. Michael learned that his name was Gavin and talked exitedly with Lindsay. They were sure that Barbera was Michael's solmate and Gavin was Lindsay's. It just made sence.

Lindsay's number was down to one hour and Michael's was at one week and two days. The red haired woman was freaking out slightly and Michael tried to calm her.

"Breathe, Linds." He said. "Just breathe. He has to like you; you're his soulmate." He said and smiled . She smiled back weakly.

"But what if he doesn't want me? What if he only wants to be friends? Like... Like Jack and Cati? I mean, they're happy but... I wanna fall in love." She said and Michael held her tightly.

"The moment he sees you, he won't be able to resist falling in love with you. I promise, it will be okay. And if you end up just being friends, that's what's best for both of you and you'll feel it too. Okay?"

"Okay." She said and took a deep breath, calming herself.

Forty five minutes later, Burnie arrived at the warehouse with Rooster Teeth's newest employee... Barbera Dunkleman.

Michael blinked a few times as he was introduced to her. Wait... if she was here now then...

Lindsay walked in, smoothing her dress and froze when she saw the pretty, blonde girl. The two made eye contact and the room fell silent. Lindsay was frozen in place and Barbera walked towards her.

"Hi, I'm Barb." She said brightly and held out her hand. The black numbers on her arm changed as Lindsay watched. Seven... six... five... She looked up and smiled sweetly.

"I'm Lindsay." She said and, as their hands met, both of their numbers ticked down to zero. Both females had huge grins plastered on their faces. Michael was still in shock and Burnie chuckled.

"Well, Lindsay, I don't think you'll mind showing Barbera around?" He asked and Lindsay nodded.

"Yeah, I'll give you the grand tour." She said and the two girls walked out of the room, walking very close to each other.

Michael blinked a few times when Geoff snapped his fingers in front of his face.

"Earth to Michael! What's wrong buddy?" He asked and Michael stared at him.

"When's the other new guy coming in again?" He asked and Geoff frowned.

"Like, nine days. Why?" He asked and Michael held out his arm to show Geoff. The tattooed man looked and squinted.

"I think Gavin is supposed to be my soulmate..."


	2. Chapter 2

For the next week, Michael was basically freaking out. His soulmate was a guy. A male. He wasn't gay! He had never been attracted to guys before. And he wasn't going to start now.

"It'll be platonic." He insisted to Geoff just hours before he would meet his soulmate. "I doubt he's looking for a relationship with a guy, either." He tried to convince himself that, no matter what, he would not fall in love with this guy.

"You never know, Michael." Geoff shrugged as he got ready to go pick Gavin up from the airport. "I mean, I don't think Lindsay or Barb ever wanted a relationship with another girl and those two can't spot making gooey eyes at each other." He chuckled. "The Fates work in strange ways. Just remember that, no matter what happens, you'll end up being as happy as you could possibly be." He said and patted his shoulder before heading outside to get in his car and head to the airport.

Michael sat at his desk and groaned, putting his head on the edge of the table. Ray was sitting next to Michael and frowned.

"Need to talk?" He said softly and Michael turned his head, his cheek now squished against the desk.

"Have you met your soulmate yet?" Michael asked and Ray paused just a moment too long.

"No." He said.

"What do you imagine them to be like?"

"I... I imagine somebody perfect for me." He said and Michael closed his eyes.

"You have the right mindset. I had the idea of a perfect woman... but now the Fates expect me to be gay..." He banged his head on the desk a few times. "I don't want to live a life without love. It is awful of me to hope Lindsay and Barbera end up being platonic so I can get back together with Linds?" He asked and Ray chuckled.

"Not awful, no, but that'll never happen. I wouldn't be surprised if those two have Names already." He said.

That was another thing about soulmates. Once you had met your other half and you truly loved them - romantically or otherwise - the string of zeros on your arm would change into your soulmate's name. The style and size of the "tattoo", so to speak, depended on your partner's personality. Geoff thought that the word "Griffon" printed on his arm in thick yet feminine letters was the most amazing thing in the world.

"Barb's got such a huge personality, Lindsay's whole arm in going to be full." Jack chimed in, running his fingers over the small, sweet letters on his forearm, surrounded by intricate vines and flowers that no tattoo artist would ever be able to create. Jack's soulmate was a platonic one. Cati was from Australia and they were just like ultimate best friends.

"Okay, this really isn't helping me relax." Michael mumbled and Ryan joined the conversation. The current newest member of Achievement Hunter hadn't really taken a lot of time to get to know his co-workers yet, but he could tell how upset Michael was.

"I've got a friend who was in the same situation as you. He was dead set on his soulmate being some hot chick, but when he ran in to this dorky guy at the grocery store, he fell in love almost instantly." He said and Ray coughed. "He thought for half a moment that he would only ever have a platonic relationship, but he could feel it in his soul that he would fall for the guy." Ryan smiled and Michael sighed.

"So.. I'll just know? I'll just feel it in my heart weather or not I'm gonna be gay?"

"You could put it that way, sure." He said and Michael glanced at his arm. Down to one hour now. 

"I'm gonna be sick." He mumbled and rubbed his eyes.

"Lovesick, am I right?" Ray,teased, holding up his hand for a high five but receiving none. "No? Nothing?" He laughed nervously and turned back to his computer. "Tough crowd."


	3. Chapter 3

Michael finally resorted to pacing back and forth in the tiny office, wringing his hands and looking at his arm every five seconds. The three other guys were watching him, Michael's anxiety seeming to fill the room with nervous tension.

"Stop pacing, Michael!" Ryan said, snatching his wrist. "Just sit down and relax, please." He said and Michael sat in his chair, trying to breathe deeply and to slow his rapid heartrate. Ten minutes left.

He listened to the idle conversation between Ryan and Jack as well as Ray's muttering to himself as he played CoD.

Michael just sort of zoned out for a few minutes and back back in to focus when Ryan poked him.

"They're here." He stated gently and Michael nodded, running his fingers through his hair. He let his eyes move to the black, ever-changing numbers on his arm. Twenty seven seconds.

The door to the office opened and Geoff stepped in, a young guy following behind him. His hair was a bit wild and he had an abnormally large nose, but Michael had to admit that he was good looking. Ray pulled off his headphones as Geoff moved around the room, introducing Gavin to everybody.

"And this fucker here is Michael." Geoff said fondly. "Michael, meet Gavin." The mustachioed man winked at Michael. He cleared his throat and stood.

"Hey, nice to meet you." Michael said and held out his hand. Ti.e seemed to move in slow motion as Gavin,raised his own arm. 3...2...1... Their hands met the moment both of their numbers reached zero. Gavin looked at Michael and smiled like a kid o Christmas.

"Hi, Micool." He said, his accent causing him to butcher the name, but Michael didn't really mind. He thought it was endearing. "So uh... soulmates..." Gavin said with a chuckle and Michael nodded, his own genuine sme on his face.

"Yeah, I guess we are." He said and looked at the taller man in front of him. Their hands were still linked and Geoff cleared his throat.

"Okay, you can flirt later. Gavin, this is your desk. Sorry it's crap, first come first serve policy in this office." He shrugged and Gavin nodded, inspecting the holes in his desk.

"It's alright." He sad and glanced over at Michael with a sweet smile. Michael smiled back and looked down at his own desk again. Ten minutes ago. He would have claimed to not have a homosexual bone in his body. Now, he wasn't so sure. (A/N: You know what "bone" I'm talking about. ;3)

Once Gavin had gotten all set up on his XBox and computer and shit, Michael offered to show him around the building.

He shoved his hands deep in his pockets as they walked and Gavin shuffled beside him shyly.

"So..." He began and chuckled. "I uh... didn't really expect my soulmate to be a guy." He said and Michael just nodded as they moved around slowly.

"Yeah, me neither. I mean, not until like, a week ago when I put two and two together and realized you were gonna show up today." He admitted and Gavin hummed in understanding.

"Geoff didn't say anything about it. He knew my day,was today, but he refused to tell me if anybody around here matched me." Gavin explained and Michel listened happily. His accent was heavy, but the New Jersey native liked it. Not like he didn't have his own slight accent sometimes.

They talked for a while longer as Michael showed him around and introduced him to eveyone. As the day went on, Michael realized more and more that he was going to fall in love with this guy. From his goofy laugh to made up words to the complex color of his eyes : somehow green, blue and hazel. Yeah, he was gonna fall in love.

"Do you maybe want to get bevs tonight?" Gavin asked as they sat in the AH office, dicking around on the internet.

"Bevs?" Michael chuckled.

"Yeah, bevs. Drinks. Go to a bar and get drunk and have fun." He said, a light flush on his cheeks.

"Yeah, I got that now. I have to get used to your Gavin-isms." He said, reassuring Gavin that his British slang and personal vocabulary were nothing to be ashamed of. "But sure, sounds fun."

"Top. Can't get too mullered, though. We actually have to do work tomorrow."

"Mullered?" Michael chuckled again. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, it's not your fault. I'm just clueless and dumb."

"Erm... we can't get completely wasted." Gavin clarified and Michael just hummed in agreement.

The six men sat around in the tiny office and talked for the rest of the day, just getting to know each other. Michael laughed a lot and discovered that Gavin's dumb laugh could probably cure cancer.

The work day ended and Michael headed home to get ready for tonight. Gavin was staying with Geoff for the time being, so Michael said he would just pick him up later.

He wasn't sure why he was so nervous. They were just getting to know each other. Besides, they were soulmates; forever bound to each other in a way that was absolutely indescribable. No matter what, it would turn out perfectly.


	4. Chapter 4

At around seven, Michael ollected his phone, wallet, and keys to go and pick Gavin up for a night of "bevs".

Michael, a true gentleman, went up to the door to greet Gavin. He raked his fingers through his curly hair and knocked on the door. Geoff was the one to answer, a half smile on his face and a beer in his hand.

"Oh, hey Geoff." He said. He had only ever been to Geoff's house once before; for a company party a couple months after he had moved here. It was more awkward now that there were not a lot of people. "I'm just here to pick up Gavin..."

"Oh, yeah, he'll be here in a minute. He actually puts effort in to making his hair look like he just woke up." He chuckled and shook his head. He motioned Michael inside and closed the door behind him. It felt like he was picking up a girl from prom and her overprotective dad was picking him apart. "Michael?" Geoff brought hum out of his thoughts. "Look, I've known this kid for like, seven years. Probably longer. And I'm really fucking glad you're his soulmate, but I want him to be happy. He deserves love and kindness because Fates knows he didn't get any where he came from." Geoff sighed and ran a tattooed hand over his deshevled hair. "It's not really my story to tell, but please, just make him happy. I know you will, there's no possible way you can't, but still." He said and Michael smiled at him.

"Don't worry about it." He said. "I promise to take good care of him."

"Thanks, Michael." Geoff said with a smile and Gavin came in wearing dark jeans and a plain blue shirt. Michael thought he looked really good... and that was strange because he didn't find masculine body types attractive, but Gavin's broad shoulders and straight hips were really nice.

"Ready to go?" He asked with a smile, getting his own wallet and phone from the table. Michael nodded and held out an arm. Gavin grinned and linked their elbows together as they literally skipped down to the street. Geoff laughed and watched Michael's car move down the street.

"Daddy?" A small voice sounded from the hall and Geoff turned, smiling at his daughter.

(A/N: Geoff doesn't want people putting his actual daughter in fanfictions, so we're gonna call this little girl Savannah.)

"Hey, Sav." He said and picked her up with an over - exaggerated grunt. She smiled widely at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Did Gavin leave with Michael?" She asked and he nodded. "How come?" She asked and he smiled.

"Because they're soulmates." He explained and Savannah grinned.

"So they're in love?" The small brunette asked.

"Not yet, but I'm sure they will be." He said and she looked at her own arm.

"Today, in math, we figured put how old we will be when we meet out soulmate." She said and looked back at Geoff. "I will be sixteen years and eighty seven days old when I meet mine." She hummed and Geoff nodded.

"You don't have to wait as long as most people." He said. "You are a lucky little girl!" She grinned at her dad and he carried her back down the hall to her bedroom. "Your soulmate is lucky, too. Whoever gets to love suh a sweet, gorgeous girl like you is lucky." He tucked her in to bed. "Now get some rest, Savvy. It's past your bedtime." He said and kissed her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too, daddy." She hummed and curled up to fall asleep. Geoff watched her for a moment and smiled at his little girl... he would never let her go, even after she met her soulmate. He would always hang on to his daughter. Just as the Fates chose your soulmate, they also chose your family. They didn't have to make you happy, as long as you ended up meeting the person you were destined to spend your life with. Gavin's family had pushed him away, which lead him to moving to America which lead him to meeting Michael. The Fates did strange and sometimes terrible this to ensure everybody ended up happy. Your family, no matter how loved or miserable they made you feel, always pushed you towards your own,greater good. And Geoff had always promised himself never to let go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note about this AU and the Fates. In my mind, the Fates are a universal religion. There are slight variations based on culture/background/language, but the basics are the same. There are 3 Fates who decide when and where each person is born and who their family and soulmate is, and when everybody will meet their other half. A lot of people do not "worship" the Fates, but everybody believes in them. Being anti-fate is a huge minority and people always start believing when they meet their mate.  
> Also, homosexuality is not looked down upon! The Fates decide to put two men or two women together and that is that. They are happy and equal to all others.  
> If you have an questions, I am more than happy to answer!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael and Gavin go on their first "date"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm it's late and I'm sorry it's short and I'm sorry it's crap!

Michael just listened to Gavin talk as they drove in to the heart of Austin. His accent was strong and Michael noticed his intrusive "r" and several other small details about his voice. He liked listening to the Brit talk. He was passionate about slow motion cinematography and cameras in general, having worked on some movies in the past.

"...and me and my best mate, Dan, we've got a YouTube channel and we just film random crap in slow motion and upload it. I edit everything and work the camera most of the time, and Dan's sort of the test dummy. We blew up some jars of paint once and a shard of glass went in to his finger and it bled a lot. Now he's got a giant blood stain on his lab coat now, but it's kinda hidden by all the paint spatters. Anyways, he's in the Royal Army and he got deployed about a month after and his finger was still hurting and it was all swollen and purple. Well, he got an X-Ray and and he still had the glass in his finger! He's also gotten really bad burns from a pot of boiling oil we were trying to make catch fire, and I've thrown a football, er, uh, soccer ball, anyways...I threw one full of water at his face and punched him in the stomach and he stuck his hands in mousetraps... it's all really top and looks amazing in slo motion, but he goes through a lot of crap for me. We used to joke that the Fates screwed up and we were supposed to be soulmates..." He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. "The the Fates can't screw up of course and... here we are."

Michael just smiled and listened close to his babbling. They got in to the city and headed to one of the quieter streets. Michael had discovered this bar not long after he moved here and he parked on the curb outside. The two men headed inside and sat up on the barstools. They started with a couple of beers and continued talking. Michael gave a brief description of his life, skipping right up to the end of High School because everything before that was kinda crap.

"I was taken on as an apprentice by an electrician and did that for a long ass time. My paycheck barely fed by video game addiction and I started making Rage Quit videos for the internet. Geoff discovered me after some of my stuff ended up on Reddit and offered me a job." He said. "I haven't done muh with my life, but I'm bot addicted to crack cocane. That's a bonus." He chuckled and took a swig of his beer. Gavin laughed and it made Michael smile. They spent the rest of the night drinking and telling stories and generally having a good time. They danced for a while, causing laughter and smiled and blushing. Michael found himself falling deeper and deeper, inching closer to the point of no return where he would fall head over heels in love with Gavin.

They decided to call it a night around 11:30 and Michael drove Gavin back home. They continued to talk as they headed up to the front door and stood of the porch for a moment. 

"I had a really good time tonight, Micool." Gavin said with a small smile and Michael smiled back.

"Yeah, so did I." He hummed. "I'll see tomorrow?"

"Of course." Gavin nodded and looked at Michael with a shy smile. He leaned forward and kissed his cheek quickly before going inside. Michael smiled to himself, his cheeks burning red as he headed back to his car and drove himself home.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea why this took so long. I am a piece of shit.
> 
> Enjoy anyways

Michael showed up early to work the next day. The only other people in the building were Ryan, Burnie, Gus and Caleb, but others began to arrive soon. Michael grinned when Geoff and Gavin walked in to the office. He greeted Gavin cheerfully and the younger man smiled.

"Hi boi!" He chirped and Geoff rolled his eyes.

"What am I, chopped liver?" He said teasingly.

"Hey, boss." Michael chuckled and everybody settles in to get started with their day. Ray, Michael and Gavin sat on one side of the room with Geoff and Jack on the other side and Ryan lounged on the couch with his laptop.

"Alright, we're starting to film content today. We'll start off with a simple Halo CTF Let's Play. One side of the room versus the other." Geoff explained and there was general agreement around the room. They set up their equipment and started recording.

"Eyyoo! This is Achievement Hunter and we're gonna play some Halo!" Geoff said in to his microphone as they sat in the menu. "It's gonna be me, Jack and Ryan against Michael, Gavin and Ray."

"Oh yeah, Lads V Gents!" Gavin said in a low, gravely voice that sent a pleasent shiver down Michael's spine.

"Lads and Gents?" Ryan said, chuckling.

"Yeah! Us three are team Lads 'cause we're cute little Lads and you're the Gents because you're old and mature like a top wine." He explained and the whole room laughed.

"That's so dumb, but I like it. Team Lads hype!" Ray whooped and they got started with the game.

The dynamic of the room was great and all six men had a lot of laughs. The time seemed to fly by and it was suddenly time to head home.

"Do you want to come over and play video games or some shit?" Michael asked Gavin as they collected their stuff.

"We just played video games all day," He noted, "but sure, sounds fun."

They said goodbye and Geoff yelled at them to use protection as they left. Michael just rolled his eyes but Gavin blushed.

"Hey, uh, I acually live with Lindsay and I'm sure she'll go have Barbera over, so we may not even be able to use the living room with the good XBox." He said and Gavin nodded.

"That's alright. We don't need video games to have a good time." He said and Michael smirked.

"That sounded really suggestive." He pointed out and Gavin flushed.

Michael,drove to his an apartment complex and they went up to his and Lindsay's place. Lindsay wasn't home yet so they jumped on the sofa and started a game of Call of Duty. Michael spent most of the round screaming at Gavin for being an idiot and somehow killing himself five seconds in to the match.

"HOW DID YOU EVEN MANAGE TO DO THAT? IT'S NOT LIKE YOU CAN CAN TURN THE GUN ON YOURSELF, DUMBASS!" He screamed at Gavin while the Brit just giggled and apologized. His performance didn't improve much over the next hour or so and they eventually decided to give up on the game. Well, Lindsay,made them stop. She was getting ready for a date with Barb and she had poked herself in the eye with her mascara brush when Michael's screams startled her..

So Michael and Gavin made some drinks and popcorn and turned on a movie. They started out sprawled out over the whole sofa, only their feet overlapping. About halfway through the movie, however, they,we're sharing a recliner, a blanket over their entangled legs and Michael's arm over Gavin's shoulders. Gavin sighed and lay his head on Michael's chest.

"Everything okay?" Michael asked, putting his drink down on the table beside him.

"Yeah." Gavin said, a smile on his lips. Michael really liked his smile. "I just... I really like being around you. You make me really happy and... Yeah, I sound silly. Sorry."

"No, Gav, it's okay. You make me happy, too." He said and smiled back at him. They were very close; their faces just a foot apart. Michael's eyes flickered down to Gavin's lips for a moment and his hear skipped skipped a bear. He could imagine kissing those lips. His tongue poked out over his own mouth and he watched Gavin'a eyes flutter closed. Michael leaned forward doing the same.

"Okay, I'll be heading out now!" Lindsay said, bursting in to the room and pulling her purse up on her sholder. "I'll probably be out late, so don't wait up for me. Remember to lock the windows before you go to bed okay?" She babbled on. Michael pulled back from Gavin quickly, running a hand through his hair Gavin scooted away from Michael and stared intently at the movie.

"Yeah sure thing." Michal mumbled, annoyed that Lindsay had interrupted them.

"I um... I should probably head back to Geoff's." Gavin said shyly and Michael got up. Lindsay left for her date and Gavin went to get his sneakers on.

"I'm sorry about her." Michael said softly, getting his own shoes on. He felt like he was about to cry. So close but of course the moment was ruined and now, he wouldn't be able to build up the courage to just kiss him.

"It's okay." Gavin said and headed out to Michael's car.

The drive was quiet slightly awkward. Neither of them said anything until they pulled up to the curb.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Gavin said quietly and collected his bag. Michael just sort of hummed and nodded. Gavin hesitated and leaned over to kiss Michael's cheek like he had the night before and rushed inside. Michael swore loudly and and b aged his forehead in to the steering wheel. He was already in so deep, but he was too much of a coward to admit it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go, chapter 6
> 
> Don't expect 7 any time soon because school starts in a couple weeks and I suck.


	7. Chapter 7

Michael didn't want to get up the next day. He just wanted to curl up in bed forever and never leave. He stared at his arm, the string of zeroes seeming to mock him. He liked Gavin, he really did, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to help but fall in love with him bit he was still conflicted about the whole thing.

He looked away from his arm when his phone buzzed on his nightstand. It was a text message from Gavin, saying good morning. As he was typing to respond, another message came through.

   From: Gavino Free - 8:32AM  
   It's Friday. Wanna get bevved up and make a night of it?  
   Read

Michael didn't respond right away. Yeah, he did want to go do something tonight, but he wasn't sure he could be around Gavin so much. What he really needed was a night in with Lindsay.

   To: Gavino Free - 8:34AM  
    I dunno, I'll see what Lindsay's plans are and get back to you.  
   Sent

He sighed and got out of bed, going to the kitchen where he was greeted by Lindsay making coffee, and Barbera on one of the barstools. He tried not to think about what had probably happened on the other side of his bedroom wall last night and just grabbed a cup of coffee. He rubbed his eyes and sat down.

"Hey, Linds?" He said and she looked over from where she was chatting with Barb about their plans tonight. 

"Yes, Mikey?" She said with a grin and Michael motioned her over. She stepped closer to him and he leaned forward to whisper in her ear.

"Defcon three." He said simply and Lindsay nodded, leaning away.

"Sorry, Bee, Michael just reminded me that we've had tonight scheduled to spend in together for months." She said and Barbera nodded.

"That's alright." She said and drained her coffee mug. "I should really get my place unpacked a bit more." She smiled and got up to go get dressed, but not before kissing Lindsay gently and winking at her. The ginger female watched her girlfrind go with adoring eyes and eventually snapped out of it, turning to Michael again.

"Defcon three? You must be in a bad spot to pull that on me."

"Hey, I almost bumped it up to a four." He said.

"Jesus, Michael!" She said and he sighed.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures." He muttered and pushed his coffee to the side.

"Is is Gavin?" She asked quietly.

"Is dunno." He muttered. "Is dunno what it is. We'll talk about it tonight, okay?"

"Okay." She said and patted his head of fluffy curls before going off to get herself dressed and probably make out with Barbera. Michael texted Gavin back, apologizing and telling him that he was busy tonight. He got up to get dressed as well and pulled a beanie over his unruly hair.

Lindsay, Barbera, and himself drove to work togeter having a really nice conversation. Michael really liked Barbera and could tell that she made Lindsay happy. He just wished that he and Gavin could he happy like that already.

The day was long and busy and Michael was tying to avoid Gavin without it seeming like he was trying to avoid him. It seemed like five o'clock would never arrive, but when it finally did, he said his goodbyes and left as quick as he could with Lindsay. They stopped at the grocery store to get booze and ice cream and then headed back home to find a movie on Netflix and curl up under a  fuzzy blanket and have a night in.

"So," Lindsay spoke up after a while. "Having boy troubles?"

"Yeah, I guess you could call it that." He mumbled and sipped his drink. "I'm not sure. I think he likes me, but I keep second guessing myself. One second, I just want to kiss him forever, and the next, I just want to push him away because I'm so confused. Why was finding my soulmate not the happiest day of my life?" He groaned and Lindsay soothed him.

"Hey, Michael, it's not easy for everybody. Barb and I got really lucky. Most couples don't get Names for at least six months or so!" She assured and Michael looked up.

"You have names already?"

"Oh, um... yeah." She said, a light red tint on her cheeks. She rolled up her sleeve to show him the gorgeous and intricate script on her arm. The edges of the letters curled in to beautiful swirls and the text filled Lindsay's forearm. Michael smiled as he studied the maple leaf pattern under the letters.

"It's beautiful, Linds. I'm really happy for you." He said and she grinned, tracing the letters absently.

"I know you'll get Names eventually. You'll have to, no matter what." She said and Michael just sighed.

"Of course we'll have to, but I don't know if it will be platonic or romantic love. That's my dilemma here." He groaned and put his head in his hands. "He likes me, and I like him, but every time one of us tried to make a move, we get inturripted or one of us gets shy. It's like the Fates are trying to urge us just be to friends. It feels like we'll never decide which way this is going and I'm afraid we'll never settle on something. We'll go back and forth forever, not really knowing if we're friends or boyfriends or-"

He was inturrupted, not by Lindsay, but by the door bell ringing. He looked up at his friend pleadingly, and she stood up and went to get the door. Michael pulled the sleeves of his sweatshirt over his hands and hugged his knees. He heard muffled conversation at the door. He couldn't make out words, but he could tell that the voice outside was male. And British.

Michael got up and walked towards the door to see why Gavin was here. The American man's eyes were red and his hair was a mess and he was wearing a baggy sweatshirt and pyjama pants. He looked like he had been dumped by somebody he'd been with for years. He noticed that Gavin don't look sloppy at all. The taller man wore nice jeans and a light blue button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His hair was the usual "effortless" mess and it seemed that he was holding something behind his back.

"Hi, Micool." Gavin said softly and smiled at him. Lindsay novel back to the living room. Michael shuffled his feet, looking at Gavin sadly. He could feel his eyes burning with fresh tears.

"What are you doing here, Gav?" He asked quietly, his voice cracking slightly. Gavin cleared his throat gently and licked his lips.

"I came to apologize." He began, his voice sweet and gentle. "I've been acting weird and we keep dodging the subject of our actual relationship. This is strange for boh of us and we need to be able to communicate if this is going to work at all." Gavin had a cute little smile on his lips. "And I know we'll never actually talk about it by choice, so I've made an executive decision, but we can discuss it later." He sighed nervously and removed his hand from behind his back, holding out a single red rose. "Will you be my boyfriend, Michael?" Gavin asked sweetly and Michael felt tears in his eyes again. Happy tears. He took the rose and tossed it on the sofa table behind him. He wrapped his arms around Gavin's neck, put and hand on the back of his head, and pulled the taller man down to kiss him hard on the mouth.

Gavin tensed when Michael grabbed him, but quickly relaxed when he felt lips against his own. He kissed back and his hand drifted to Michael's waist in order to pull him closer. Eventually, Michael broke away and looked up at Gavin with a small smile and shining eyes.

"Fucking finally." He muttered fondly and Gavin grinned, a giggle passing his lips. He hugged Michael tightly and buried his face in his curls.

Michael saw a flash go off through his eyelids and looked behind him to see Lindsay with her phone.

"Oops! The flash was on! You have to pose again, the light ruined it." She said and Michael flipped her off before hugging Gavin again. Gavin chuckled and kissed his ear breifly before leaning away.

"I'm gonna assume you're saying yes to being my boyfriend?" He said with a smile and Michael nodded, staying close to him. Lindsay left them alone again and Michael sighed.

"Fucking finally." He said again and grinned up at Gavin. His boyfriend.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't care that there'a no beach/pier anywhere near Austin.
> 
> Just shhhhh and enjoy the story.

The next day was Saturday and all the Achievement Hunters were going to the pier to go swimming and play arcade games and just spend time together and bond. They were all bringing their soulmates, as well, so everyone could meet everybody else. At this point, Ryan and Ray were the only two who hadn't met their soulmates yet, but Ryan insisted it was fine.

"It's no big deal. I've always known I wouldn't meet my soulmate until later in life. I'm enjoying my single life for now." He said and Ray just agreed quietly. They all decided to meet in the parking lot at 11:00. Lindsay, Barbera, and Michael all rode together. Geoff was coming with his wife and Gavin, leaving their daughter with a friend for the day, and Jack was on his way with his own soulmate and Ryan. Ray had told them he had somebody to give him a ride, and although Geoff offered several times, he said he could take care of it.

"Okay, if you're totally sure. We don't want to make anybody go out of their way to bring you." Jack said and Ray didn't reply.

So, at 10:45, Michael, Lindsay, and Barbera pulled in to the parking lot at the beach and sat around to wait for the others. Michael sat on the trunk of the car as he waited. Gavin, Geoff and Griffon arrived not long after and Gavin stumbled out of the car, running towards Michael and jumping up to hug him tight.

"Micool, my boi!" He hummed softly. Gavin pulled back from the hug and leaned in to kiss Michael breifly. Geoff made a gagging noise and Michael chuckled, pulling away from Gavin. They turned and Geoff introduced his wife, Griffon. She was pretty, with tattoos and a septum piercing. She had half of her head shaved and she looked to be a natural bleach blonde. She had a pair of pink Ray-Ban sunglasses perched on her nose, matching Geoff's favorite green ones. Jack, Caiti, and Ryan arrived moments later. Caiti was from Australia and Jack seemed so happy with her. She had longish brown hair and glasses and the hugest, brightest smile Michael had ever seen. He could see how much Jack adored his best friend.

"Is Ray the only one we're waiting on?" Ryan asked and Geoff nodded.

"Yeah. I really hope he's not making somebody drive him here and then just go back home." He said and the other mumbled their agreement. Just as Michael was grabbing his phone to call the Puerto Rican, he saw a silver Honda pull into the parking lot with Ray in the passenger seat. There was a light haired guy sitting in the driver's seat and they pulled up near the group. The engine shut off and Ray got out of the car while the other guy went to get something out of the trunk.

"Hey, guys." Ray said and they greeted him. He was holding his arms behind his back, trying to look casual about it. The light haired, tall guy came back with a small cooler and stood next to Ray, putting an arm over his shoulders. The others all just sort of looked at Ray expectantly. "Um guys, this is David... m-my soulmate." He said and dropped his arms to his sides. Michael looked at Ray's right arm and saw the big, swirly letters, and then looked to David's right arm, seeing the sharp letters and rose "tattooed" there. The names were large enough and intricate enough to mean that their relationship was romantic.

"It's nice to meet you, David." Jack said and stepped forward to shake his hand.

"It's nice to meet you too. You're Jack right? Ray's told me a lot about all of you." David smiled and everybody introduced themselves.

"So where are you from?" Geoff asked as they all headed towards the beach.

"I grew up in Washington State and moved here for collage so I can be an ER doctor." He said and Ray smiled, obviously proud of him. "I took my first six years back home, though. I moved here for my residency and Doctored about nine months ago. Hopefully I'll be able to stay and work here, too." He said and smiled down at his soulmate.

"We ran in to each other at the grocery store six months ago." Ray said. "I didn't even notice at first, but he came flying around the corner five minutes later blabbering about his arm and how he was dumb and..." Ray blushed. "Well, the rest is kind of history."

"Awee, that's so cute!" Gavin squaked and David chuckled.

They found a good spot in the sand and started to get set up. Michael managed to pull Ray aside, telling the others that they were going to grab a tidechart or some shit like that.

"What the fuck, man!? I was all terrified and confused that my soulmate was a dude and you didn't tell me you've got a guy's name across your forearm? And you've known him for six fucking months?" Michael glared at him.

"I'm sorry! I know we met a while ago but... fuck, it was confusing for us too! My parents still don't know and his parents took a few months to speak to him again after he introduced me over Skype." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Right... I'm sorry. It's just... I consider you my best friend after Lindsay and I would have hoped you could trust me with something like this; especially since you've known him for so long."

"I know. I thought about telling you every time I saw you, but I could never do it. Even when you met Gavin and I could see that you two were going to fall in love... I was still scared."

"Of what?"

"Rejection." Ray said and traced the beautiful letters on his arm. He didn't even look, so Michael cold tell he did this often. "I don't even know. Can we just focus on now? You've met him and he's my soulmate and I'm in love with every Goddamn bit of him. He makes me really happy."

"Yeah, of course. I'm really glad you found him. You deserve to be loved by somebody so kind." Michael smiled and they headed back to the others.

"Where's the tidechart?" Gavin asked.

"They didn't have any left." Michael lied and Geoff rolled his eyes as he helped Griffon put sunscreen on her back. They all settled in and Michael groaned as Gavin sat directly on his chest.

"Hi Micool!" Gavin cooed.

"You fucking asshole, get off me!" He tried to push him off, but Gavin wouldn't budge. Michael smirked and, with a quick jab to the Brit's ribs, he sent Gavin squealing and flying to his feet.

"Micool, no!" He squeaked and Michael laughed. "I'm ticklish, boi."

"Oh, are you?" He smiled and ran,after him. Gavin made a bunch of bird noises like "ooooOOOOOOOOooooooOOOHHhh!" as he ran towards he water. It was Summer, so the water was warm enough to run right in. The two of them chased each other around in the surf for a while before falling in to the sand to the water lapped at their ankles. The others joined them at the water soon. Barb and Lindsay jumped waves a few feet out and Griffon was trying to get Geoff to shove a hand full of sand down his pants.

"No way! I'll be digging sand out of my ass for weeks!" He shouted, trying to get away from her.

Ray was trying to coax David out to a sandbar, but the blond was grinning and refusing to swim five feet. Caiti and Jack were building a sand castle, decorating it with shells and seaweed and driftwood. Ryan came and sat near Michael and Gavin.

"It's a really beautiful day." He said and the two agreed.

"This was a good idea. We should all go do stuff more often." Michael added and Gavin just hummed. Michael looked around him. Everybody looked so happy. They were all messing around and having fun. That's what happiness should be, and that's what it was. Just pure joy and being able to have no real worries on the world, at least in this moment.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michael loves Gavin, even if his dumb arm doesn't say so yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: There is M Rated explicit sexual content in this chapter. If you do not wish to read this content, please do not read after the * * *
> 
> Thank you.

The following weeks were busy. The guys were filming a lot of content and trying to work out a steady schedule for recordig, editing, and releases. Everybody was working hard and enjoying every minute of it.

Michael and Gavin's relationship was doing very well. They were happy together and they spend and most every afternoon in each other's company before Michael would drive Gavin home and kiss him goodnight. Barbra, however, practically lived in Michael and Lindsay's apartment. The two women were almost literally sickening but Michael was really happy for them, even if it did mean walking in on them making out on the sofa.

"Seriously, you have a bedroom with a door that closes." He said one day as he dragged Gavin to his own bedroom so they could play X-Box. He had moved his old one in to his room so they didn't have to hang out in the living room. Gavin took off his pullover sweatshirt, causing his shirt to ride up over his stomach. Michael couldn't help but look at him. He was fit and his dark happy trail was really sexy. He forced himself to look away as Gavin fixed his shirt.

"So, boi," Gavin said and jumped on to the bed, laying next to Michael. "Do you wanna play video games or watch a film?" He asked and Michael draped his arm over Gavin's shoulders, booting up the consol with one hand.

"Let's watch a movie." He decided and pulled up Netflix. He knew they probably wouldn't be watching for very long, so he just found something random and pulled Gavin closer as he tossed the controller aside. The Brit lay his head on Michael's chest and traced circles on his hip. Michael smiled at his soulmate, his heart soaring. He knew it wouldn't be long until he fell in love with Gavin. He was just waiting for the day when he would look at his arm and the string of zeroes would be replaced with his boyfriend's name. He could tell that Gavin was thinking the same thing, but he didn't expect him to voice his thoughts.

"Micool?" Gavin cooed and looked up at him. Michael stroked his hair gently.

"Yeah, Gav?" He smiled.

"I love you. I know my arm may not say it quite yet but I do love you and I know we'll have proof of it soon." He said with a shy little grin, unsure how his lover would react. Michael however, smiled back at him.

"I love you too, Gavvers." He said and cupped his jaw, kissing him for a moment. Gavin pulled away so he could talk exitedly. 

"And then I can finally give you the letter I wrote!"

"Letter? You mean that dumb thing teachers make kids write in Elementary school? Fuck, I still have mine somewhere. All I remember is that I was super passive agressive about it and I thought it was the dumbest thing in the whole world.'

"Really? I was so exited to write mine. I filled the entire page and wrote fairly small for a seven year old." Gavin laughed. Michael just rolled his eyes at him and kissed his lips tenderly. They kept it slow and gentle for a long time, but Gavin's hand eventually slipped under Michael's shirt and boh of them were lost. Michael pushed Gavin down on his back and pressed their hips together. He could feel the outline on Gavin's slight boner on his leg and he hummed against his lips.

"Now, Gavvy, is it really proper to get sex before we even have names?" He teased and Gavin chewed his lip.

"At the moment I honestly don't care about traditions or fornalities." He said softly, a light blush on his cheeks. Michael smiled and kissed his forehead.

"Well, I do. At least a little bit." He said gently. "No sex until we have names." He felt a little bit bad, but he was a traditional sort of guy. "We can get each other off without having sex though." He assured and Gavin smiled up at him. Both of them stripped off their shirts and started grinding a little.

* * *

Michael moved to start undoing Gavin's button and zipper on his shorts, pulling them down and palming the tent in his boxers. Gavin defiantly had some body hair but Michael didn't mind. It was actually rather sexy.

"Micool..." Gavin sighed happily as Michael pulled his boxers off, freeing his cock from the fabric and letting it stand against his stomach. Michael licked his lips. He had never given nor received a blowjob before. The only reference he had was porn, and that wasn't exactly the most realistic scource. He nibbled his lip for a moment before he carefully wrapped his mouth around the tip of Gavin's dick. He was uncircumsized, so he pulled his foreskin away gently to close his lips around the head. Gavin let out around little sound of pleasure so Michael assumed he was doing something right. His tongue moved around in his mouth without him really knowing but it was swirling around the very tip of Gavin's dick and making the man squirm and moan. Michal took a bit more of him in, just trying to focus on Gavin and his own arousal rather than the fact that there was a cock in his mouth for the first time in his life. He started to bob his head a hummed.

"Mi-cool!" Gavin mewled and arched his back slightly. His hand moved to tangle in Michael's hair, tugging at his russet curls. Michael moaned around his length and bobbed his head faster. Gavin was squirming under Michael's naturally talanted mouth in no time and he pulled him off moments before he would have come. He yanked Michael up to kiss him.

"My turn." He said, the words rolling off his tongue in a way that made him sound slightly tipsy. Michael rolled over and watched Gavin sink down, pulling his cock out and stroking it a few times. It felt really nice: somebody else's fingers around his erection. He watched I awe as Gavin went to work, licking the underside of his length and teasing the head with his tongue. The perfect ratio of strokes to licks and kisses. He was close to the edge in no time and he couldn't stop himself as he spilled his load on the corner of Gavin's mouth. The Brit smiled up at him and stuck his tongue out the side of his lips to lick off some of the cum. He sucked on Michael's tip a little more, milking him for every last drop. Michael was moaning and tugging at his hair.

"Fuck, Gav," He sighed happily. He pulled his boyfriend up for a desperate kiss, not caring if he got spunk on his face or in his mouth. He reached between their bodies and started to stroke Gavin off quickly. It wasn't long before he came, too, his jizz landing on Michael's chest and abdomen in long strings of white. He continued to kiss him for a long time, enjoying every moment he got to spend with the most amazing and perfect person on the planet. His soulmate.


End file.
